The present invention generally pertains to interlockable elements for structure assembly sets. Although such assembly sets are particularly useful as toys and/or for education, they also can be used for assembling other structures, such as buildings, furniture, containers and exhibition equipment.
The present invention is particularly directed to improvement of those interlockable elements that individually include an at least partially planar body and one or more connector edges having associated therewith connectors disposed about first and second axes of rotation.
Structure-assembly-set interlockable elements having these features are disclosed in German Patentschrift No. 617011 by Fay and in United States Letters Patent No. 2,057,942 to Fay. In an embodiment disclosed by both Fay documents, the connectors associated with the connector edges of the individual interlockable elements are hinge-ear-type knuckles, with the connectors of one element being joined with the connectors of another element by intermediate pins, such as in a common hinge.
The present invention provides an interlockable element for a structure assembly set, comprising: an at least partially planar body and at least one connector edge having associated therewith a first A-type and B-type connector pair disposed about a first axis of rotation and a second A-type and B-type connector pair disposed about a second axis of rotation; wherein for said at least one connector edge the first and second axes of rotation are disposed on opposing sides of a generally rectangular quadrilateral of a specified dimension, with each of one pair of diagonally opposite vertices of the quadrilateral situated internally to each of said A-type connectors and each of the other pair of diagonally opposite vertices of the quadrilateral situated internally to each of said B-type connectors; wherein the quadrilateral is generally disposed in a plane that is generally perpendicular to the plane of said at least partially planar body; wherein each A-type connector includes a first pair of rods that extend from the at least one connector edge, with each rod of the first pair of rods including a protrusion on the side of the rod of the first pair of rods that faces away from the other rod of the first pair of rods and each B-type connector includes a second pair of rods that extend from the at least one connector edge, with each rod of the second pair of rods including an indentation in the side of the rod of the second pair of rods that faces the other rod of the second pair of rods; and wherein said connector pairs are adapted for rotational interlocking engagement with said connector pairs of another said element. Interlocked elements are held together. Engaged connector pairs are connector pairs in which at least one connector of one connector pair is at least partially embedded in a connector of another connector pair.
The present invention also provides a structure assembly set a first interlockable element and a second interlockable element, each of the first and second elements including an at least partially planar body and at least one connector edge having associated therewith a first A-type and B-type connector pair disposed about a first axis of rotation and a second A-type and B-type connector pair disposed about a second axis of rotation; wherein for each said at least one connector edge the first and second axes of rotation are disposed on opposing sides of a generally rectangular quadrilateral of a specified dimension, with each of one pair of diagonally opposite vertices of the quadrilateral situated internally to each of said A-type connectors and each of the other pair of diagonally opposite vertices of the quadrilateral situated internally to each of said B-type connectors; wherein the quadrilateral is generally disposed in a plane that is generally perpendicular to the plane of said at least partially planar body of the respective interlockable element; wherein each A-type connector includes a first pair of rods that extend from the at least one connector edge, with each rod of the first pair of rods including a protrusion on the side of the rod of the first pair of rods that faces away from the other rod of the first pair of rods and each B-type connector includes a second pair of rods that extend from the at least one connector edge, with each rod of the second pair of rods including an indentation in the side of the rod of the second pair of rods that faces the other rod of the second pair of rods; and wherein said connector pairs of the first element match for rotational interlocking engagement with said connector pairs of the second element.
Preferably, the connector pairs of the first element match for rotational interlocking engagement with the connector pairs of the second element notwithstanding whether or not the first element is turned over relative to the second element.
Additional features of the present invention are described with reference to the detailed description of the preferred embodiments.